Diana Smirnova, you are an Ironman!

Congratulations on a phenomenal race! You are amazing.



Swim: 2.4mi, 57:30, 1:30/100m (Age Grp. place 5/Overall place 136)
T1: 4:37
Bike: 112mi, 5:43:15, 19.58 mph (6/443)
T2: 4:00
Run: 26.2mi, 3:50:16, 8:47/mi (3/295/27 Overall female)
Total: 10:39:38

Inaugural Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon is canceled

This email went out just before 4am:

We regret to inform you that we have been compelled to cancel today's Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon as a result of the significant wildfires in the Los Angeles area and resulting unsafe air quality. Pasadena Forward's decision was made in consultation with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Team and the City of Pasadena.

Please know that it was extremely difficult to arrive at this decision, and we know that this is a disappointing outcome for all of us who have worked so hard for this inaugural event. However, the only appropriate response to this emergent situation, given that the safety and well-being of our participants is at the forefront of our concerns, was to cancel.

Over the next several days, we will hold discussions to determine appropriate next steps. Once concrete plans have been developed, updates will be posted at www.pasadenamarathon.org. All registered participants will also be notified via email of all important updates.

Thank you for your support and patience as we work through this challenge. We hope you are safe and well.

Israel Estrada
Executive Director, Pasadena Forward

Caltech cycling and triathlon club official team apparel: Get yours now!

The 2009 edition of the team apparel is here! We will be using Sports Base Online for all ordering in conjunction with the cycling club, so please $click here$ to place your order. Click to see designs of the cycling jersey and shorts, and the triathlon uniforms. The website will be accepting orders through Friday, November 7th, and we expect delivery by the end of January. The clothing will come from Hincapie, so sizing will be the same as last year's cycling apparel. As far as triathlon apparel sizing, Emily McDowell has requested sizing samples and she will send out more info when the kit arrives.

Three quick notes:
1. If you are an alum, please click on the alum tab and add $5 per item of clothing you purchase to help support the teams.
2. PLEASE READ! If you want your items shipped to an off campus address, the cost will be a flat rate of $10, and you MUST pay this on SBO if you want us to ship your items. We will also need your mailing address. On campus/JPL shipping is free (although I would strongly recommend picking them up either on campus or at JPL as we lost an item going to JPL last year) but you MUST provide us with your campus address. So, make sure you read the shipping options and fill in the required information.
3. The cycling club still has a bunch of socks from the past years, so if you want any of those, contact John McKeen (jcmckeen.at.caltech.edu) to work it out.

Thanks again, and don’t hesitate to contact me with questions (jhanna.at.caltech.edu).

Renegade Sprint Adventure Race

Photo by Jamie Sheasby.
Ever heard of a sprint adventure race? Well, you are not alone. This past weekend was only the second ever race of this type, and it happened right over in Bonelli Park (Is it just me, or have we pretty much done all our racing in Bonelli Park this year? Maybe they should name part of it after us. Just throwing it out there). And it also happened to be won by a team of Caltech Triclub members, including John "Max Power" Meier and Lenny Lucas of team PTCuL8r. For more information, check out this article. Don't miss the links for race photos and athlete interviews near the bottom of the article, just above the results.

More team success at "The BOD"

Despite the fact that Scott, John M, and myself are all feeling the effects of a long season and compounded hours of training (even though for one of us, it was a lack of training that was the culprit), we all fared well at the Bonelli Olympic Distance race today. Scott finished 1st AG (M20-24) and 6th OA, I (Jeff) finished 2nd AG (M25-29) and 10th OA, and John M finished 3rd Clydesdale. It was definitely one of the toughest days for all of us mentally. But it's nice to have a bad day of racing and still finish well.

I think it might be useful for me to put together a list of results for this season because we've had a lot of podium finishes as well as some points series awards. This has been a very good year so far for the Caltech Triathlon Club. With successful races and new personal achievements, I bid you all a well-deserved congratulations! Keep up the hard work.

A great success!

Congratulations are in order for John Meier, the newest County Scroll Winner of the Clydesdale division in the LA Tri Series at Bonelli Park. Mr. Meier has probably run out of shelf room with all the Clydesdale medals and awards he has raked in this year. In his words, "Being fat is awesome."


Congratulations are also in order for Diana Smirnova, who finished 2nd overall, and 1st age group in the Playa del Run Points Series. Race #6 happened this morning, and Diana smashed the women to take 1st overall and move her up the points series rankings. Oliver Buccicone also had a great race, finishing 7th overall (followed very closely by Diana!) and 1st age group. I finished 19th overall and 2nd age group behind Oliver. The same trio raced in PdR #3 earlier this year and all qualified for the Aquathlon World Championships.

Visit the Triclub at the 2008 Campus Life Carnival and Club Fair

The 2008 Campus Life Carnival and Club fair will be held Saturday, September 27 on the Beckman Mall. Be sure to stop by the triclub booth to see some of the equipment we have for checkout, the new race uniform we've been working on, and to sign up to be a part of the multisport fun! The more members we have, the easier it is to organize group workouts for all experience levels.

As far as I know, Scott will be the only one at the booth (I'll be in Colorado for a wedding) to answer any questions you may have, give you some general info and the low-down on the triclub.

When school starts back, we will be organizing a meet & greet/social gathering/information session on the triclub and triathlon in general. The plans are starting to come together so make sure to stay tuned to this website or sign up for the triclub email list so you don't miss out on the details.

More info about the Club Fair can be found at this url:
http://www.studentlife.caltech.edu/events/Carnival2008/site/

Add another race to the list: Nautica Malibu triathlon weekend

There are two races in Malibu this weekend: the Nautica Malibu olympic distance on Saturday, and the traditional Nautica Malibu sprint/celebrity race on Sunday. I think the only member of the Caltech community that is competing is Scott Hersey. If I'm wrong and forgetting someone, please let me know. I'll get results and reports up as they come in.

Scott Hersey (olympic distance)
Swim: 1.5k, 28:46
T1: 2:08
Bike: 40k, 1:02:24
T2: 1:27
Run: 10k, 38:33
Total: 2:13:19 (Age Grp. place 2/Overall place 24)

The biggest weekend in our short [recent] history

This coming weekend is full of races and full of Caltech athletes competing in those races. In order of event distance, we have (participating athletes and unofficial results listed after race):

The Big Kahuna Triathlon (half-IM; 1.2mi S/56mi B/13.1mi R) - Santa Cruz, CA



John Meier
Swim: 1.2mi, 41:08.5 (Clydes. place 12/Overall place 500)
T1: 5:13.0
Bike: 56mi, 2:34:47.1, 21.7 mph (1/77)
T2: 1:55.4
Run: 13.1mi, 2:04:05.9, 9:28/mi (4/399)
Total: 5:27:10.0 (Clydes. place 1 of 19/Overall place 217 of 847)

Jeff Hanna
Swim: 1.2mi, 37:38.6 (Age Grp. place 33/Overall place 334)
T1: 4:12.7
Bike: 56mi, 2:40:25.0, 20.9 mph (12/131)
T2: 0:52.8
Run: 13.1mi, 1:34:33.6, 7:13/mi (5/36)
Total: 4:57:42.8 (Age Grp. place 7 of 61/Overall place 71 of 847)

We will get race reports up soon. The short story was that the bike was into a strong headwind heading north to the turnaround and the run finish on the beach was brutal. We both qualified for the USAT Halfmax National Championship to be held in Oklahoma City in 2009 (at the Redman). Scott is competing in this year's race that he qualified for at Ironman Hawaii 70.3 earlier this year. All of these races were our first attempt at the half-iron distance.

LA Triathlon (olympic; 1.5k S/40k B/10k R) - Los Angeles, CA

Steve Vass
Swim: 1.5k, 32:36
T1: 4:02
Bike: 40k, 1:13:56
T2: 2:30
Run: 10k, 52:02
Total: 2:45:03 (Age Grp. place 4/Overall place 411)

There were also friends/family of the triclub competing in this race. Oliver finished in 2:40:07 (2nd AG/327 O'all) and Craigalicious in 2:02:12 (yeah, he's fast!).

Portage Lakes Triathlon (olympic) - Akron, OH





Emily McDowell
Swim: 1.5k, 28:37 (Age Grp. place 3/Overall place 93)
T1: 3:49
Bike: 37k, 1:22:39, 16.7 mph (5/160)
T2: 2:37
Run: 10k, 1:01:34, 9:56/mi (6/155)
Total: 2:59:16 (Age Grp. place 6/Overall place 158)

Pacific Coast Triathlon (sprint; 0.5mi S/12mi B/3mi R) - Newport Beach, CA





Matt Eichenfield
Swim: 0.5mi, 16:28 (Overall place 315)
T1: 2:24
Bike: 12mi, 36:20 (110)
T2: 1:42
Run: 3mi, 18:49 (43)
Total: 1:15:43 (Age Grp. place 11/Overall place 105)

Valerie Scott
Swim: 0.5mi, 18:08 (Overall place 480)
T1: 3:02
Bike: 12mi, 43:47 (549)
T2: 1:41
Run: 3mi, 25:18 (523)
Total: 1:31:56 (Age Grp. place 13/Overall place 515)

Congratulations to all! I will get any race recaps posted within the next week. Don't forget to buy some Bear Naked granola products! They are delicious, nutritious, and an excellent snack. Come talk to me if you want some free samples.

San Francisco Marathon and Camp Pendleton sprint distance

Read Chris' race report.

The San Fran Marathon was today! There were several Techers running including brothers Alex and Julian Romero, Luigi Perotti, Madeline Miller, and triclub members Chris Kovalchick and Emily McDowell (she ran the half marathon). Judging from the results, both had fantastic races. It was Chris' first marathon, and he ran a negative split! A great show of discipline, running within himself, knowing his training, and making sure to take care of himself during the course of the race. Emily's performance was equally as impressive. She has obliterated all her goals this year and we're only seven months in. She started the year only ever having run a single 5k event (is that right?!), and now she has already completed an olympic distance triathlon and a half marathon amonst other things. A well-deserved congratulations goes to the both of you and to the other members of the Caltech community who participated in the event. Results are here.

The Camp Pendleton sprint triathlon is happening next weekend. The same trio that raced in the olympic distance (John, Diana, and Oliver) and racing in this one as well. I'll get results and other news up as it comes in.

As for now, happy and safe training. Anyone want to join me at the Manhattan Beach ocean swim on Sunday? Cheers...

Good luck Camp Pendleton racers!!

The Camp Pendleton olympic distance triathlon is going down tomorrow. As far as I know, Diana, Oliver, and John Meier are racing. Anyone else? Playa del Run #4: Playa del Rey is also happening tomorrow. Anyone doing this?

Strong performances all around

First of all, happy Father's Day to all you dads or dads-to-be out there.

Last weekend was filled with solid race performances. For results, click on Bonelli or Huntington Beach. All three of us who went to Huntington Beach (Diana, Oliver, and myself) qualified for the USAT World Aquathlon Championships in Monterrey, Mexico on June 28. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us will be going because of the event date. I'll be coming off my target marathon of the year (Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN happening June 21!), Diana will be in France, and I don't know what Oliver is doing. Actually, I don't even know how the event is set up because Monterrey is not close to a body of water (maybe the swim is in a pool?).

I'll try to get around to updating things on here after my marathon. Maybe we can get 6pm pool sessions going again now that both pools are open...

Sunday is race day...

...for anyone participating in the LA Tri Series at Bonelli Park, or the Playa del Run in Huntington Beach. Click the "Local Races" link on the right to visit the event websites. Both events will probably be a bit more crowded than usual since LA Tri #2 was canceled and because the PdR is the USAT National Aquathlon Championships with the top 6 in each age group qualifying for Worlds. Make sure to show up early and allow a little extra time to prepare yourself before the race start.

As far as I know, these people are competing this weekend: John M. and Emily at Bonelli Park, and myself, Diana, and Oliver in Huntington Beach. Good luck to all!

Scott and his date with Honu

"Crosswinds, headwinds, tailwinds, heat, humidity and chop were the name of the game at this year's Ironman 70.3 Hawaii."

Read Scott's race report.

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii is today! The race is already underway and I will be posting Scott's splits as they are updated. You can track all the other athletes here. Apparently, it is very windy there (it is Hawaii), but Scott is very strong on the bike. So although he may not end up with a fast time, he should post a solid bike split relative to the other competitors.

Swim: 1.2mi, 39:45, 2:05/100m (Age Grp. place 14/Overall place 407)
T1: 3:06
Bike: 56mi, 2:32:51, 21.98 mph (6/100)
T2: 2:28
Run: 13.1mi, 1:52:07, 8:33/mi (5/120)
Total: 5:10:17

It looks like Scott came out of the water about :27 behind his brother, but had a much faster transition and is already in front of him. This should be exciting as the race progresses... Scott is killing it. A great bike split for windy conditions. Holy mother... He put some serious distance between himself and his brother. About 30 minutes now, but his brother's strength is the run... Macca is already done, winning for the 3rd year in a row. He finished in 4:04:22 (S 25:26; T1 1:49; B 2:13:52; T2 1:49; R 1:21:26)!... Scott just finished with 5:10:17. Looks like he had a rough run, but he still managed 5th Age Grp. and 120 Overall. Not bad sir, not bad. Your brother is still racing, so that means you won that battle. Also, it looks like you will only need 1 or 2 roll-downs to get that Clearwater spot. My fingers are crossed...

New Race Results and Sponsorship Brochure

There has been a lot going on the past couple of weeks. As we all know, Bonelli #2 was cancelled, but Playa del Run #2 Santa Monica was scheduled the same day. As far as I know, only Diana and Oliver were out competing. Diana took home 2nd in her age group, even though she had a tough day. You kick ass Diana! Overall results are posted here and age group results are here. The overall winner, Craig Pansing, is an absolute stud. Shout out!!...

This past weekend, I competed in the Brentwood 5k/10k which was a ton o' fun. I ran the 10k and finished 26th overall (out of 681) and 3rd in my age group with a time of 38:11 (PR). I wanted to break 38:00 but I suck and somehow couldn't manage to go :12 faster. Overall results for the 10k are here with division results here.

And right now, Chris K is running in the Laguna Hills half marathon and Emily in the 5k. Click for results. Emily cut a whopping 3:00 from her previous 5k time (I think she's been sandbagging in her previous races) and finished in 26:52 (PR). Chris also made significant improvement from his last half marathon, finishing in 1:35:11 (PR), better than 12:00 faster than his Rose Bowl half marathon. All these races will prove to be very valuable experiences when Chris tackles the San Francisco Marathon in August. I wish I had done something similar before my first marathon. Perhaps it wouldn't have been such a disaster if I had any clue what I was doing.

So it looks like everyone had a great weekend of racing. Scott leaves on May 29 to race in Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, on May 31. This is his first half-iron distance and I know he put in some great training. Here's to wishing you a fantastic race! I'll be following you online and posting your splits. I can't wait for you to drop the hammer down on the bike. Git 'er done, Scott.

Finally, the last bit of news is that Emily and I finished putting together the sponsor's brochure (it's two pages so be sure to scroll down). The plan is to send this out to the various potential sponsors we posted about (much) earlier this year. We will be including letters with each brochure requesting any specific types of support, etc.

LA Tri #2 at Bonelli Park...cancelled?

...coming this weeked. Stay tuned for more.

I just received an email (this same email went out to the triclub email list, thanks to Lenny!) regarding the race this weekend. This is what it said:

"Last night we learned that our May 18th triathlon might be canceled because of the Mt. Baldy Fire. The firefighters are using Bonelli Park for a rest area. Today it was confirmed that our event is canceled. The fire fighters have commandeered the north side of the Park (where our triathlon was scheduled) making it impossible to go forward. One of the reasons for the north shore is that there is an area where the fire fighter prisoners could be located. I am absolutely convinced that the Bonelli Park Staff are not to blame for this action. We will roll over the entry in the May triathlon to June 8th or to our event on October 5th. We were overwhelmed by this news and we stand to lose a substantial sum but when one considers the problems in China, in Burma, Florida, and the tornado states our problems pale by comparison. We will contact as many triathletes as possible but we could use your help in passing the word. Thanks for doing that. Bill Fulton and the Tri Events Staff."

It is indeed cancelled. Please visit the event website for more info.

Boston Race Report and LA Tri #1

For anyone with any desire to run the Boston Marathon, it's worth every bit of work you have to put in to get there. You can find my Boston race report here. Here are my 5k splits (searchable results for the marathon are here):

5k: 23:01
10k: 46:03
15k: 1:08:54
20k: 1:32:05
Half: 1:37:01
25k: 1:53:31
30k: 2:15:14
35k: 2:38:17
40k: 3:00:43
Finish: 3:10:14

I feel pretty good about my race considering the training that went into it (and the fact that I was hit by a car in Feb.). I'm still hoping to break 3-hrs in the Grandma's Marathon in June.


LA Tri #1 at Bonelli Park is happening now! It is already very warm and the air is filled with smoke from the Chantry fire that started yesterday afternoon. As far as I know, no one has been injured in the fire, and there has not been any property damage. Let's hope things stay that way. Results here.
John Meier - Championship #1 - 1:21:31 (1st in Clydesdale Div.)
Emily McDowell - Championship #1 - 1:48:05 (Wrong turn on the bike!)
Scott Hersey - Championship #1 - 1:10:41 (2nd in Age Grp., 6th Overall)
Jeremy Emken - Championship #1 - 1:35:33

Individual Time Trials and Upcoming Races

We had two members compete in individual time trials this past weekend. John Meier won the Men's Collegiate D category at the 11-mile UCI ITT, Santiago Canyon on Saturday, April 5. Apparently, he almost missed his race and was penalized ~20s for starting late. But in his words, "I was racing n00bz so it didn't matter." Results here. Club president Scott Hersey also raced on Saturday, in the 40k Piru TT Series. Results for that race can be found here. Scott finished 4th overall and 1st in his age group (out of one; which also means he was last), crossing the line in 1:00:41 with a first-half split of 30:05. The Piru Series has many races left, all with a 40k on Saturday and a 20k on Sunday.

The LA Tri Series at Bonelli Park is starting up soon! We have several members competing in the entire series, and others just doing one or two of the races. As far as I know, these people are racing:
John Meier - Championship Series
Emily McDowell - Championship Series
Scott Hersey - Championship #1 & #2
Jeremy Emken - Championship #1 & #2
Jeff Hanna - Championship #3
Jorge Palamara - Express #2 & #3

The Playa del Run Series is kicking off soon too! These are really fun and a lot of good stuff is given away at the end of each race. Let me know if you're planning on doing any of these and I'll post it here.
Here's what we have going on for the PdR races:
Diana & Oliver - #2 Santa Monica
Jeff Hanna - #4 Playa del Rey, #5 Solana Beach
Emily McDowell - #4 Playa del Rey, #5 Solana Beach

I'll be running in the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21. If you're at all interested in following my progress, I'm bib number 3546.

Ironman CA 70.3

Ironman CA 70.3 is happening this weekend! Come support Diana in her first half-ironman distance. The race starts about 6:40am and Diana's wave takes off around 7:20am. Check out the event website for more info. Stay tuned for updates on her race...so it looks like Diana had a great race. Check out her splits below:

Swim: 1.2mi, 30:07, 1:31/100m (Age Grp. place 1/Overall place 202)
T1: 3:59
Bike: 56mi, 2:58:57, 18.78 mph (5/671)
T2: 3:19
Run: 13.1mi, 1:43:04, 7:52/mi (5/396)
Total: 5:19:26

Good enough for 418 Overall and 5 Age Grp. She was first out of the water for her age group...we expected nothing less from you...Congratulations Diana! I can't wait to talk to you about your race.

It looks like the Pro's race had an exciting finish for the males. Andy Potts won in 3:58:22 with Craig Alexander only :03 back. With 400 meters to go, Alexander passed Potts. Potts responded and beat Alexander to the line by 25 meters. Crowie gave everything he had to close the gap in the last 5k. Erika Csomor finished first on the women's side in 4:23:14. Mirinda Carfrae was 1:36 back and Leanda Cave 3:26 back. More results and race coverage can be found here. Click here for overall race results.

We will have several members racing in half-iron distances this year...all of us for the first time.

Possible Sponsors and Team Kit Design

Scott and I are working to get some material together to send to possible sponsors. Our initial list of candidates is below, and each is linked to the company website in case you are unfamiliar with the name. Each of these possible sponsors makes products we already use, and we would love for them to support us in the future. Having the smartest triathletes in the world use and endorse their products should be an incentive to support the Caltech Triathlon Club.
Hammer Nutrition
Gu
Cytosport (makers of Cytomax)
Tri Sports
Incycle (local bike store)
Run With Us (local running store)
Hawaiian Island Creations
Tri-swim
Tifosi
Trader Joes
Chipotle
Pedros
Phase IV
Trillium Sports Medicine
Petes Coffee & Tea
Noah's Bagels
Stone Brewing Co.

The second bit of news is that we'd like to get team uniforms. There are several companies that let you design custom apparel. As of now, we have initially chosen to use Hincapie Sports. The Caltech Cycling Club's 2008 team kit came from Hincapie Sports and is great quality and very comfortable. The discounted prices are also very reasonable. I have been playing around with several different designs, and you can click the thumbnails below to view them. I personally like the argyle with the orange fade. It looks faster than the blue fade and sports more of the school colors. If you like them or don't like them, let me know. Everyone's input is very important here. If there is something you would change, let me know. Feel free to provide any comments or suggestions. I've also posted the template so any of you can design your own. You can email me the file and I'll post it up. In the end we can all pick a few favorites, then take a vote to choose the best. Keep in mind that all designs can be tweaked or changed to suit everyone's preference. As far as designing your own, there are a few guidelines you should follow. I wouldn't be concerned with specific colors right now. Just be aware that the base lycra color on the shorts can only be black, charcoal gray, white, royal, navy, or red. You need to include the Caltech colors (which unfortunately is orange). Also, make sure to leave open space for sponsor's logos. Have fun!

2nd Annual Pasadena Triathlon

The second annual Pasadena Triathlon returns to the Rose Bowl on March 8, 2008.  The sponsor for this year's race is Whole Foods Market located at 3751 E Foothill Blvd.

This is a reverse sprint distance triathlon starting with a 5k run, followed by a 15k bike, and finishing with a 150m swim in the pool at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.

The race starts at 8:00am so come out and support Emily (and her family), Andrew, John Meier, John Doyle, Lenny, and any other members or nonmembers of the Caltech Tri Club. Several members did the race last year and those results can be found here. It's definitely a fun race to kick off the year, and nothing is better than racing in your very own back yard!

Post-race update with unofficial results (preliminary results here):
Emily McDowell - 1:09:27 (That's a 30-minute improvement from last year! Way to go Em.)
Emily's mom - 1:22:31
Emily's dad - 1:10:08
Andrew Tchieu - 58:29
John Meier - 54:57 (1st in Clydesdale Div.)
John Doyle - 56:08 (2nd in Age Grp.)
Lenny Lucas - 55:27 (4th in Age Grp.)
Jeremy Emken - 1:00:03 (4th in Clydesdale Div.)
Congratulations to all!

The Revival

This site is currently under construction as we work to revive the Caltech Triathlon Club.  The plan is to have a central site that keeps you updated on the goings on of our club and members, as well as a place from which you can easily navigate to our sponsor's websites (and buy stuff), to training tools, and to race results and photos (and anything else we decide to put up).  At this point, all suggestions are welcome and encouraged.

Inspiration for the design and layout of this website came from Triathlete Stuff. I liked the simplicity and setup, so I want to give credit. It's also a great resource, so be sure to check out the link.